Reporting on progress and achievement

This advice on reporting is part of a suite of documents on recognising achievement, reporting and profiling. The Curriculum for Excellence Management Board decided to publish the reporting section separately in advance of the whole document. The full suite of advice on recognising achievement, reporting and profiling will be made available later this year.

Learners, parents and others

Reporting is able to provide parents with regular information about their children's strengths and development needs, an opportunity to discuss with their children their progress in different aspects of the curriculum and a chance to give their views on their children's progress. It also allows staff to respond, helping parents to understand how they can support their children to develop their learning further. Learners themselves should be in a good position to contribute to discussions about written reports and about their progress in learning at consultation meetings with parents.

Parents will get the regular information about their children's strengths, progress and achievements to which they are entitled. They should be informed about any gaps in their children's progress and ways that they can help.

At later stages of education 3 to 18, and especially in colleges, the immediate audience for reporting will be the learner. Other colleges, higher education and employers will also be audiences for reports on learners' success.

Describing progress and achievements

Reporting on the development and learning of children and young people will take account of their achievements in different contexts and settings, including across curriculum areas, the life and ethos of the school and learning outwith the school, including in the wider community.

Learners should be encouraged and supported to be involved in deciding what evidence may be drawn upon and how to gather this irrespective of where learning takes place. Staff will work with learners to summarise the evidence for reporting to parents and others while helping the young person to maintain ownership of his or her learning.

Parents will get information about their children's progress in achieving the Curriculum for Excellence levels in key areas of learning, such as literacy and numeracy, as well as performance across the curriculum. To help parents support their children’s learning, it is important that teachers share full and open accounts of each learner’s progress.

At particular points – especially at points of transition - teachers will work with children and young people to sum up achievements through profiles. These will include summary statements of progress within and through the curriculum levels, as well as progress towards qualifications in the senior phase.

Teachers should report to parents on their child's progress in terms of levels as well as using brief qualitative comments in planned learning across the curriculum areas and in different contexts. Reporting should note particular strengths, areas for development and achievements in challenging aspects and in the application of learning.

It is also important for those children and young people who require more choices and more chances or for those with additional support needs, that reporting achieves an appropriate balance across the breadth of learning, in challenging aspects and the application of learning. Staff should make clear the nature of support being put in place to ensure each and every child and young person makes appropriate progress.

Further guidance will be provided to support reporting on learners' progress and achievements.

Giving an account of learning at points of transition

Effective use of assessment information focusing on planning and supporting learning is essential at points of transition. Effective transition arrangements should ensure that progressive development of the four capacities is clearly recognised.

Transfer of clear information about each child's or young person's progress, achievements and support needs is necessary. Staff at the next stage can use this information to ensure that they build on children's and young people's previous learning and experiences.

It is important that information on progress and achievements provides a valid and reliable account of the amount and quality of learning as concisely as possible. Information will relate to aspects of learning across the curriculum and include details of personal achievements and the knowledge and skills gained through them.

Effective partnership working across transitions, including participating in moderation activities, will increase the validity, reliability and shared understanding of the information.

Reflective questions

• How well do you record learners' progress and achievements and share this information with learners, parents and other teachers/adults involved in learning?
• How well do learning experiences build on prior learning and use assessment information to help inform progression?
• Are the approaches you use to report learners' progress consistent in referring to strengths and areas for improvement? How does reporting include information on how learners are progressing in relation to breadth, challenge and the application of learning?